Detroit Lions: Tagging Ziggy Ansah is the only right choice

By Matt Bosko | Feb 21, 2018

Ezekiel Ansah of the Detroit Lions watches the final seconds of the clock run down during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field on January 1, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Green Bay defeated Detroit 31-24. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

With the franchise tag window officially open, the Detroit Lions have an interesting decision to make about Ezekiel Ansah.

Detroit Lions General Manager Bob Quinn recently crossed off his first major task of the offseason when he hired Matt Patricia as the team’s head coach. His next responsibility – whether or not to slap the franchise tag on defensive end Ezekiel Ansah – runs parallel to that of selecting the Lions’ next head coach. On the outside, it may seem like a tough call, but in actuality, there’s only one decision that makes perfect sense.

If the Lions’ objective is to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2018, then the team must use the franchise tag on Ansah. Letting their best pass rusher – no, their only pass-rusher – hit the open market is a major step backwards.

The prevailing thought among fans is that the Lions can allow Ansah to walk because Patricia, like the Patriots, can turn anyone into a valuable piece. Sure, coaching matters, but banking on that philosophy is dangerous. Talent still matters.

What the New England Patriots do better than any other franchise is learn from their mistakes. The Philadelphia Eagles eviscerated Patricia’s defense in the Super Bowl, primarily due to a lack of a pass rush.

To think that Patricia will forget that loss – and the reasons behind it – is absurd. It explains the recent hires of defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and defensive line coach Bo Davis. Both men are defensive line gurus. Patricia knows the game is controlled in the trenches, and has surrounded himself with like-minded coaches who can get the most out of their personnel.

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If the Lions allow Ansah to walk, they further weaken their weakest position group on the team. While Anthony Zettel notched 6.5 sacks in 2017, no other defensive lineman had more than three. Kerry Hyder missed the entire season due to a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, and there is no guarantee he returns in 2018 with the same explosiveness and production prior to the injury.

Replacing Ansah’s talent with a draft pick is not a certainty, and with a thin free agent market, any talented edge rusher will cost a premium. The only other blockbuster free agent available is DeMarcus Lawrence, and it is hard to imagine the Dallas Cowboys are going to let him walk after a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2017. If the Lions are not willing to pay Ansah, it is hard to imagine the team paying top dollar for someone less talented.

The concerns about Ansah’s consistency and health are very reasonable. In five seasons with the Lions, the former fifth overall pick has essentially taken up residency on the weekly injury report. There is no question that injuries have impeded Ansah from reaching his full potential.

This past season was Ansah’s career in a nutshell. He finished with 12 sacks, nine of which came in three dominant games. Six of those nine came in the last two games of the season, showing that when healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with. When he isn’t, he tends to disappear.

For all the health problems Ansah accumulated, he missed only seven games in his career. There is something to be said for a player willing to gut it out and take the field on Sunday.

The Lions have roughly $45 million in cap space this offseason. Placing the franchise tag on Ansah would cost the team $17.5 million – roughly a third of the team’s currently available cap room. It’s a steep price to pay for someone with an injury-plagued career, but for the Lions, it is worth the gamble.

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There are just so few alternatives to what Ansah can bring when healthy. If the team needs to spend money, they must do so to improve the defensive line, and that begins with tagging their best (only) pass rusher. Quinn believes the Lions are ready to win now, but that just isn’t true if they allow Ansah to walk away.

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